BC Nurses Union president kicked out of union

“The governing council of the BC Nurses’ Union expressed a vote of no confidence in Gayle Duteil on April 28 and declared that Duteil has ceased to be a Member in Good Standing, the effect of which is that Duteil is ineligible to remain in office,” a bulletin on the union’s website read.

At the time, CEO Umar Sheikh declined to comment on the nature or number of complaints, but did say they began in June and continued into the fall. He added the union has retained Vince Ready and Judi Korbin as arbitrators.

Duteil had said she retained lawyer Carman Overholt and filed complaints with the BC Labour Relations Board and the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

The bulletin said the council’s move follows a February decision by arbitrator Tom Hodges that found Duteil tried to interfere in the union’s 2017 provincial election in a “flagrant attempt to threaten, interfere with and manipulate the committee’s processes.

Christine Sorensen, the former acting union president, is now president.